Combination key and knife



April 13, 1943. w, yobs 2,316,655

COMBINATION KE Y AND KNIFE Filed Aug. 8, 1939 mm. IliumnmllmllllllllllllflT A TTORNEYS.

Patented Apr. 13, 1943 Walter Henry Voos, Mount Carmel,. Conn... assign'or to" Swank, Inc., a corporation ofDel'aware Application August 8, 1939, Serial No. 288,953 1 Claim. (01. 206 ss')- This invention relates to a pocket article? of the type which may be conveniently attached to a chain which in. turn is worn on the person of the user.

The invention has for one of its objects to provide a convenient combined article such, for instance, as a knife and a key.

Another object of the invention is to so assemble the knife and key as to provide an ornamentally shaped article which will enhance its value and use on the person of the wearer.

Another object of this invention is to utilize the key for supporting the knife and yet permit a complete detachment of the two.

Another object of the invention is to hold a' key in a desired relative position to a knife blade so that the knife and key will require the minimum amount of space as to thickness when both are together in the pocket of the user.

Another object of 1 the invention is to utilize part of the casing for resiliently holding the key in housed position therein.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, as will be more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the article shown attached to a chain;

Fig. 2 is an exploded view illustrating the key as completely detached from the knife;

Fig. 3 is an edge view of the combined article;

Fig. 4 is a plan view with one side of the casing or housing removed to show the interior thereof;

Fig. 5 is a central sectional view on line 5-5 of Fig. 4; v

Fig. 6 is a section view on line 68 of Fig. 4 with the key omitted;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a part of the casing;

Fig. 8 is a central sectional view thereof;

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the shell portion of the casing;

Fig. 10 is a longitudinal sectional view of the y;

ig. 11 is a perspective view of the knife blade; and

Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the resilient member or spring for actuating the knife blade.

It is frequently desirable to carry a knife as well as a latch key and to lodge these in the same pocket of the clothing. Both usually drop to the bottom of the pocket and lie side by side to require in thickness, so far as bulk in the pocket is concerned, the combined thicknesses of the knife and the key. It is also desirable to attach the key and the knife to the person by means of a chain which often occurred by the 5 use of opposite ends of the chain, or bridling the chain or various other arrangements requiring two distinct attachments. In order to avoid these difiiculties and. obtain certain more desirable effects, I have arranged to attach the chain to the knife through a key which enables the knife to become completely detached if desired and yet when assembled provides less bulk as to thickness than the two separate articles now in use; and the following is a more detailed description of the present embodiment of this invention,

illustrating the preferred means by which these advantageous results may be accomplished.

With reference to the drawing, l5, l5 designates the bolster plates which are of identical formation and which are held in spaced relation by shouldered rivets 16, H, H, I8, l8 located in openings I9 and 29, and 2|, 2| in the plates 15. The rivets l8 pivotally mount implements 22 such, for instance, as knife blades illustrated. One of these knife blades may have a surface which will form a file or be otherwise shaped as desired. A U-shaped spring 23 is mounted upon the rivet l6 and provides a pair of resilient arms 24 each so located as to be engaged by the portion 25 of the implement 22 which is so shaped that the implement willbe urged to housed position when in the relative arrangement shown in Fig. 4 or will be urged to open position when swung through substantially 180 and in each of these two positions will be firmly held, the holding in the open position being assisted by reason of the notch forming shoulder 26 which engages the end of the arm 24 so that an endwise thrust of the arm is utilized for supporting the blade.

When the blades 22 are in a closed position as shown in Fig. 4 they are partially housed by the casing plates l5 and are spaced so as to provide a chamber 21 between the plates sufficient to receive the operating portion 28 of the key 29 having a handle or a head 30. This key is notched as at on both sides. Tongues 32 formed by slots 33, 33 in the plates l5 are provided, each tongue deflected to provide "a protuberance or detent 34 which will snap into the recess 3| in the key so as to hold this key firmly in position between the two resilient tongues 32. This key may be of a size to be guided by the rivets H. The head of the key has an opening 35 for the reception of an attaching ring 36 or other clasp on the end of the chain 31 for convenient attachment of the chain. The chain may be attached to a watch which is inserted in the pocket or may be attached to the belt or belt loop of the trousers or other parts of the garment of the wearer by a swivel 38 or other clasp.

The casing of the device also comprises a covering shell 39 which is drawn up in shallow trough shape as shown in Fig. 9 with bordering flanges 40. Fingers 4| on the upper end flange engage the plate I 5 while a finger 42 in the opposite end flange may be rolled over the lower edge'of the plate I5 into a recess to receive it.

By the above arrangement it will be apparent that the key may be quickly withdrawn from the knife for use in a lock or for wearing only the key while the knife may or may not be detached from the key for its use. The two are assembled together by reason of certain construction of the,

key enabling the attachment of the chain to the key to serve as an attachment of the chain to the knife whereby both are assembled on a single chain. Also by causing the key and the two blades to be in a widthwise tandem arrangement the minimum thickness of the assembly is secured.

The foregoing description is directed solely towards the construction illustrated, but I desire it to be understood that I reserve the privilege of resorting to all the mechanical changes to which the device is susceptible, the invention being defined and limited only by the terms of the appended claim.

I claim:

A pocket article comprising spaced walls secured together in a manner providing a casing having an open end, one of said walls being slit 

